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http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...useum1009.html

Arizona Science Center gains museum's assets
Pact also allows center to operate Phoenix Museum of History building
5 comments by Kathleen Gormley - Oct. 9, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Science Center has acquired the assets of the Phoenix Museum of History under a new operating agreement that also gives it the right to occupy the museum's building.

The Phoenix Museum of History, 105 N. Fifth St., closed its doors June 30 because of financial problems.

The science center, 600 E. Washington St., has agreed to provide at least 5,400 square feet of space dedicated to Phoenix history in one of the two buildings, city officials said. The history museum totals 20,000 square feet.

The Phoenix City Council approved the agreement Wednesday in which the science center will operate both buildings. The city owns the buildings and is responsible for maintenance of them.

The museums pay rent to the city to occupy the buildings.

"This is not a merger," said Ruth Osuna, deputy city manager. "It is a transfer of assets of the Museum of History to the science center."

The museum, which has been looking for a financial partner, contacted the Arizona Science Center about a partnership "about 17 or 18 months ago," said Chevy Humphrey, president and CEO of the science center.

Kristin Priscella, science center senior director of communications, said the science center is "working on a plan to catalogue the artifacts that were part of the history museum's asset acquisition."

She said a reopening date for the history section is to be determined.

The Phoenix Museum of History name will stay on the building for now, Osuna said.

Humphrey said that in the future, the museum name could include a tagline referencing its relationship with the science center.

City officials expressed approval of the new relationship.

"I thought this was in the best interests of residents. It is a way to preserve Phoenix's history and original content of the museum," Osuna said.

The science center and the museum worked closely together and "there will be a continued relationship between the two organizations," she said, adding that the history museum's board of directors will continue to exist.

The city of Phoenix reimburses the science center for 50 percent of its utility costs for the science-center building.

The city's Parks and Recreation department budgeted $185,000 in fiscal 2009-10 for these costs, according to city documents.

Humphrey said she doesn't anticipate a problem funding utilities for the second building.

"I think it was a win-win for everybody," Osuna said.

Welp its good that the history museum isnt going away entirely. It was never a very impressive museum to begin with and now itll be even less so it sounds like, but I suppose its better than nothing.